Synthesis of high-purity bulk copper indium gallium selenide materials

a technology of copper indium gallium selenide and high-purity bulk, which is applied in the direction of electrolysis components, vacuum evaporation coatings, coatings, etc., can solve the problems of limited solar power conversion efficiency into electricity of such devices, and no effective method for bulk production of cigs materials, etc., and achieve the effect of efficient devices

Inactive Publication Date: 2011-03-24
SUNLIGHT PHOTONICS +1
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007]While such techniques have produced efficient devices in the laboratory, CIGS deposition technologies that are scalable to large-area devices for commercial applications are desired. Sputtering from bulk CIGS is one example of a deposition technology that could be used to produce large area CIGS devices. However, there is currently no effective method for bulk production of CIGS materials. Currently, sputtering targets are formed by grinding CIGS precursor materials and compressing them into a target. Such methods tend to introduce impurities from the grinding process. There remains a need for methods for production of high quality CIGS in bulk which can be utilized in such large-scale deposition applications.

Problems solved by technology

The conversion efficiency of solar power into electricity of such devices is limited to a maximum of about 30%, since photon energy in excess of the semiconductor's bandgap is wasted as heat and photons with energies smaller than the bandgap do not generate electron-hole pairs.
However, there is currently no effective method for bulk production of CIGS materials.
Such methods tend to introduce impurities from the grinding process.

Method used

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  • Synthesis of high-purity bulk copper indium gallium selenide materials
  • Synthesis of high-purity bulk copper indium gallium selenide materials
  • Synthesis of high-purity bulk copper indium gallium selenide materials

Examples

Experimental program
Comparison scheme
Effect test

example 1

Preparation of Bulk Cu1Ga1Se2 Material (x=0) at Low Temperature

[0045]21.8229 grams of copper, 23.9442 grams of gallium, and 54.2328 grams of selenium (approximately 100.00 grams in total) were batched in a cylindrical silica ampoule inside a nitrogen atmosphere glove box. The ampoule was about 27 cm in total length and about 3 cm in internal width of a base portion, with an inlet portion of a narrower width and a length of about 4.5 cm. The ampoule was evacuated for 4 hours at a pressure of 1×10−5 Torr and then the inlet portion was sealed using a methane / oxygen torch.

[0046]The ampoule was placed in a furnace. The preparation schedule used for making 100 grams of bulk Cu1Ga1Se2 is given in Table I. At the end of the preparation schedule, the ampoule was removed from the furnace at room temperature and broken open inside a glove box under a nitrogen atmosphere to retrieve the bulk Cu1Ga1Se2 material.

TABLE IPreparation schedule for low temperature routeStepConditionsRamp 15°C. / minSoak...

example 2

Preparation of Bulk Cu In0.7Ga0.3Se Material x=0.3 at Low Temperature

[0048]25.596 grams of copper, 32.373 grams of indium, 8.425 grams of gallium, and 63.606 grams of selenium (approximately 130.00 grams in total) were batched in a silica ampoule as for Example 1. The ampoule was evacuated for 5 hours at a pressure of 1×10−5 Torr. The ampoule was sealed using a methane / oxygen torch and placed in a furnace, as for Example 1. The preparation schedule for preparing 130 grams of Cu1In0.7Ga0.3Se2 composition through the low temperature method was as shown in Table I. At the end of the preparation schedule, the ampoule was removed from the furnace at room temperature and broken open to retrieve the bulk Cu1In0.7Ga0.3Se2 material.

[0049]FIG. 6 shows an X-ray diffraction plot of the low-temperature prepared Cu1In0.7Ga0.3Se2 material above a reference profile. The X-ray pattern shows very high phase purity.

example 3

Procedure to Make Bulk Cu1In0.7Ga0.3Se2 Material (x=0.3) at High Temperature

[0050]5.906 grams of copper, 7.474 grams of indium, 1.944 grams of gallium, and 14.678 grams of selenium (approximately 30.00 grams in total) were batched in a silica ampoule. The ampoule was evacuated for 5 hours at a pressure of 1×10−5 Torr. The ampoule was then sealed using a methane / oxygen torch and placed in a furnace at a 45 degree angle. The preparation schedule used in making 100 grams of bulk Cu1Ga1Se2 composition was as given in Table 2. (The same process may be used for making 130 grams of Cu1In0.7Ga0.3Se2 composition, using material quantities as given in Example 2.) At the end of the preparation schedule, the ampoule was removed from the furnace at room temperature and broken open to retrieve the bulk Cu1In0.7Ga0.3Se2 material.

TABLE 2Preparation schedule for high temperature routeStepConditionsRamp 15°C. / minSoak Temperature A500°C.Soak Time at3hrs.Temperature ARamp 22°C. / minSoak Temperature B210...

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Abstract

A method for forming a high purity, copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) bulk material is disclosed. The method includes sealing precursor materials for forming the bulk material in a reaction vessel. The precursor materials include copper, at least one chalcogen selected from selenium, sulfur, and tellurium, and at least one element from group IIIA of the periodic table, which may be selected from gallium, indium, and aluminum. The sealed reaction vessel is heated to a temperature at which the precursor materials react to form the bulk material. The bulk material is cooled in the vessel to a temperature below the solidification temperature of the bulk material and opened to release the formed bulk material. A sputtering target formed by the method can have an oxygen content of 10 ppm by weight, or less.

Description

[0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61 / 245,400, filed Sep. 24, 2009, entitled Thin Film Cu(In1-xGax)Se2 (0≦x≦1) with Composition Controlled by Co-Sputtering, by Jesse A Frantz, et al., and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61 / 245,402, filed Sep. 24, 2009, entitled Low Temperature and High Temperature Synthesis of High-Purity Bulk Cu(In1-xGax)Se2 (0≦x≦1) Materials, by Vinh Q. Nguyen, et al., the disclosures of which are incorporated herein in their entireties, by reference.CROSS REFERENCE[0002]Cross reference is made to copending application Ser. No. ______, filed contemporaneously herewith, entitled COPPER INDIUM GALLIUM SELENIDE (CIGS) THIN FILMS WITH COMPOSITION CONTROLLED BY CO-SPUTTERING, by Jesse A Frantz, et al. (Attorney Docket No. 99916-US2), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.BACKGROUND[0003]The present exemplary embodiment relates to a method for forming bulk copper-indium-gallium s...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): C23C14/34C23C14/06C22C1/00
CPCC23C14/0623C23C14/3464H01L21/02568Y02E10/541H01L31/0368H01L31/03923H01L31/18H01L21/02631
Inventor NGUYEN, VINH Q.FRANTZ, JESSE A.SANGHERA, JASBINDER S.AGGARWAL, ISHWAR D.BRUCE, ALLAN J.CYRUS, MICHAELFROLOV, SERGEY V.
Owner SUNLIGHT PHOTONICS
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